Despite being out of favor in Test cricket, KL Rahul is still a force to be reckoned with in T20 cricket and has proven the same with his exploits in the past two editions of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Rahul, who is currently playing for Karnataka in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, has played along with the likes of Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh in the IPL, but is keen to play with England all-rounder Ben Stokes in the same team.
“He can bowl, he’s a phenomenal fielder, yeah, he’s played out there before, and he’s had a great impact on the teams he’s played for. I hope he can play for my team; it’d be great to have him on my team,” he said at a Red Bull event.
Rahul, now a veteran having played 87 international matches for the country, also spoke about the most fearsome bowlers he’s ever faced.
“Pat Cummins, who is the No.1 Test bowler right now, I found him very hard to face. Rashid Khan has always got the edge over me – he has my number a little bit. Nathan Lyon from Australia. All these guys and Bumrah, of course. Facing him at training and a few games against him, he’s a competitor; he doesn’t give anything away,” he said.
The top-order batsman gave further insight into Bumrah’s talent and competitiveness.
“He’s a phenomenal talent, and I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to play with him even before he had the opportunity to play for his country. We played on the same junior level team, and he’s always someone that’s very determined and dedicated and very passionate about cricket, and he’s someone you don’t want to mess with because he bowls the ball at serious speeds and he’s a competitor off the field even when we are playing against each other.
“There’s no mercy for the guys who play for the country – he’s always very competitive. The things that he’s doing for the country right now are absolutely fantastic, and I know he’s only going to grow and get better,” Rahul opined.
